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I N S T A G R A M

I N S T A G R A M

Since my business is about connecting opportunities for clients – active and intriguing Instagram pages are paramount to catapult a creative business or brand. Some clients want to know the who, what and where before committing to the rhythm of an active Instagram page. I am not an Instagram expert, but I have learned a bit from Justina Blakeney, Kate Rumson & other Instagram Influencers/ Stars who orchestrate their pages like maestros at a symphony.

I’ve combined some interesting Instagram data along with cool images from some of my favorite Insta pages for your reading and visual pleasure. Jayson DeMers breaks down the facts . . .

Instagram’s popularity has been growing steadily since it first debuted back in 2010. With more than 500 million active users, it’s currently the second most popular social media network in the world, behind only Facebook (unless you count YouTube), and marketers are falling more in love with the platform.

‘The gram’ now has a user base of over 500 million people. 300 million of these are active on the app every single day. In total, more than 40 billion posts have been made, with an average of 95 million every day. These daily photos and videos generate a staggering 4.2 billion likes!

Global brands particularly benefit from such a powerful network. What makes Instagram even more useful than some of the other social sites is that because the focus is primarily photos and images, (and captions are typically short and filled with emojis), it breaks down language barriers. A beautiful photo is beautiful whether you are in the US, Russia or Brazil.

Whatever your target audience now is definitely the time to jump on the bandwagon. The infographic reveals that 48.8% of brands are already using the platform and this is expected to jump to 70.7% this year. Around half of all users follow at least one business and 5% of them can be inspired to take action (such as visiting your site, searching for more info, or telling a friend). You can even take the paid route – 500,000 businesses are currently advertising on Instagram.

But don’t be fooled into thinking all of this activity is driven by selfie takers from the US. Yes, they represent 19.22% of the pie, but 80% of Instagram accounts are based outside of the US. The second most popular Instagram country is Russia at 8.84% – Russia?? no comments, please! Below them are Brazil and Turkey at roughly 5.4% each.

All of these useful statistics were gathered as part of a new research from Website Builder, which also looks at the history and rise of the image-centric platform.

So why is Instagram so good at engaging with audiences?

Mobile functionality. Instagram is easy to use when you’re on the go. It’s a mobile-exclusive platform and can immediately edit images you take on the move to post on the platform. That makes it an in-the-moment experience, which naturally attracts more people. It’s also a very simple app to use, with only a handful of posting options and the lovable “infinite scroll” of new content.

Visual nature. Human beings prefer to gather and interpret information through sight, which is why visual marketing has become so popular in recent years. Instagram appeals to that visual nature. Nearly the entire newsfeed is occupied by the horizontal span of images, and since they’re all reduced to the same square format, it gives a certain level of formality to the experience.

Novelty. Instagram is also a departure from apps like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, mostly because of its simplicity. It’s done a phenomenal job of attracting younger audiences, with the majority of its users clocking in at under age 30, and has an energy that older social media brands have lost over the years.

Function. Instagram also caters to an interesting audience. It offers publicly available posts like Twitter, but at the same time has greater control over spam and reasonably tight personal networks. It isn’t limited to just one social function, like LinkedIn is used for professional networking, and is approachable to a wide number of people. This maximizes Instagram’s potential user base, and naturally encourages people to interact more.

According to research published by the GlobalWebIndex, Instagram is growing the fastest of all social media sites worldwide, increasing its active user base by 23% in the last six months. But on an overall basis, it shares the scene with Facebook and YouTube as the world’s most influential social platforms. Jayson DeMers ,

If you’re just starting out on Instagram, posting photos can be pretty depressing. When all your excitement and hard work are met by nothing more than few likes from a handful of followers, it’s easy to get discouraged, even if you know the benefits of social media marketing.

Here are a few ideas for increasing your followers and getting them to interact with your posts. You’ll notice that many of them focus on increasing engagement (likes and comments), and here’s why: lasting engagement naturally leads to followers.

As you implement the strategies below, keep in mind that there’s no substitute for regularly posting engaging, creative and relevant images that your audience loves. Use the tips below as you wish; just don’t forget that engagement should always be your underlying goal.

1. Use hashtags that are known to help increase followers: #Instagram #FF (Follow Friday), #instafollow, #l4l (Like for like), #tagforlikes and #followback.

2. Like hundreds of random pictures from people in your target audience.

3. Promote your Instagram account on your other social media accounts and profiles. Tell people what they can expect once they’re following you (e.g., behind-the-scenes photos, sneak peeks, coupons, etc.)

4. Like and comment on other users’ photos. This is the most natural way to gain new followers.

5. Use popular hashtags so your images get found in the search. Some of the most popular ones are #love #instagood, #instagram #tbt and #photooftheday.

6. Search for and follow people who are using popular hashtags like #followme and #likeforlike. Many will follow you back!

7. Remember that quality beats quantity. Edit your account to leave only the best images. No one wants to follow someone with thousands of pointless images of food or other random shots.

9. Make sure your bio is complete. Include relevant keywords and hashtags, and a link back to your site. Above all, don’t be spammy; this is a guarantee that no one who reads your profile will follow you!

10. Ask questions in the captions of your photos. This is a great way to increase engagement.

Rio Hamilton

Rio Hamilton is a business development professional with vast marketing and sales experience.He specializes in brand promotion for the luxury interior design and lifestyle industries. Rio works with companies, individuals and groups on concentrated brand identity and elevation. He has a popular website that chronicles "the who's who" at design and fashion events throughout greater New York.